Amber color with off-white head. Smells mostly like some herbal hops with a slight malty undertone. Taste starts with some caramel and continues with the same herbal hops note from the aroma. Quite bitter up-front and gets intensely bitter to the finish and follows in the aftertaste. Body is quite light and well carbonated. Overall this is a really aggressive amber ale with a lot of bitterness.

Mostly clear copper, approaching ruby, with fine haze throughout. Light tan pillowy head of medium retention and a fair amount of lace. Aromas of resin, dark fruit, toasted malt, caramel. Taste is less strong than expected, favoring malt and tart, with small hint of caramel and metallic and herbal notes almost from the start. Herbal to rindy to not quite peppery aftertaste. Certainly a good balance here. Lighter in body than I generally enjoy for this style, very watery, but I have no real complaints. Lots of fine prickly to sudsy bubbles, making for a thick but easy swallow. Fairly dry, could stand to be more astringent.

Aroma: mild American hops, Appearance: deep amber to light brown under a thick, creamy head producing thick ridges of foamy lacing that laces the glass all the way down. Flavor: A rich malt backbone with hops all over the place but not dominating. The malt sweetness balances the hops well. The malt sweetness is more of a light fruity sweetness than a caramel or dark sugar sweetness – no roast or dark malt flavors even though it looks chestnut or light reddish brown. Mouthfeel: medium light body, medium carbonation. Overall: A very repeatable American Amber Ale.